examined it minutely, back and front, with bleared and bewildered eyes,
and then looked to his visitor for explanation.

"The lady must not leave England," said Hugh.

Drayton steadied himself, and tried hard to look appalled.

"Upon my soul, you make my flesh creep!" he said. "What do you want for
your twenty pounds? Speak out plain. I'm not flowery, I'm not. I'm a
licensed victualer and a gentleman--"

"What do I want? Only that you should send the lady home again by the
first train."

Drayton began to laugh.

"You see, there was no cause for alarm," said Hugh, with an innocent
smile.

Drayton's laughter became boisterous.

"I am to decoy the young thing away by making her believe as I'm her
husband, eh?"

"Mr. Drayton, you are a shrewd fellow."

"And what about the husband--ain't he another shrewd fellow?"

"Leave him to me. When the time comes, make no delay. Don't expose
yourself unnecessarily. Wear that ulster you have on at present. Say as
little as possible--nothing if practicable. Get the lady into the fly
that shall be waiting at the door; drive to the station; book her to
Keswick; put her into the carriage at the last moment; then clear away
with all expedition. The midnight train never stops this side of
Bedford."

Drayton was shuffling across the room, chuckling audibly. "He, he, he!
haw! haw!--so I'm to leave her at the station, eh? Poor young thing; I
hain't got the heart--I hain't got it in me to be so cruel. No, no, I
couldn't be such a vagabond of a husband--he, he! haw, haw!--and on the
poor thing's wedding day, too."

Hugh Ritson rose to his feet.

"If you go an inch further than the station, you'll repent it to your
dying day!" he said, once more bringing down his fist heavily on the
table.

At this Drayton chuckled and crowed yet louder, and declared that it
would be necessary to have another half glass in order to take the taste
of the observation out of his mouth.

Then his laughter ceased.

"Look here: you want me to do a job as can only be done by one man
alive. And what do you offer me--twenty pounds? Keep it," he said; "it
won't pass, sir!"

The fire had burned very low, the cheerless room was dense with smoke
and noisome with the smell of dead tobacco. Drayton buttoned up to the
throat the long coat he wore.

"I've summat on," he said; "good-night."

The sound of children's voices came from the bar. The little ones were
going home.

"Good-night, missy, and than